Enhance your career, gain new skills and expand your education horizons by studying online or in person with New Zealand’s leaders in education.
Transform your future with postgraduate study that challenges you personally and professionally with one of our world-recognised postgraduate qualifications.
Master of Disability and Inclusion Studies
1.5 years | Hamilton
Explore contemporary theories, methodologies and practices to become a practitioner that challenges social norms.
Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the programme draws from education, psychology and social sciences to provide graduates with a comprehensive understanding of concepts and issues in the area of disability studies.
Thinking critically and creatively, you will evaluate current issues, working proactively to develop professional relationships with others in the field - relevant for a variety of professionals working in community organisations and schools, and those concerned with disability advocacy and rights.
Improve your career prospects by advancing your skills and knowledge in Education.
Develop expertise in a specialist area with a Master of Education focusing on curriculum, pedagogy or policy development.
With the option to complete this part time or full time, a Master of Education equips graduates with relevant skills necessary to advance a career in Education.
Make a difference to the quality of education and create opportunities for your future leadership in education with a Master of Educational Leadership.
This qualification will enable you to enhance your career prospects with a specialised programme that challenges you personally and professionally. Working with academics who are internationally recognised for their leadership research and practice, you will develop the skills, knowledge and dispositions to be an effective educational leader.
Gain skills to further develop your professional attitudes, knowledge and competencies in the areas of counselling, group leadership, mediation and practitioner research.
The Master of Counselling is an internationally-renowned counselling degree, specifically designed for professional counsellors or supervisors interested in leadership roles within the New Zealand counselling profession.
Gradates develop skills well-grounded in constructionist theories, and gain high level knowledge and understanding through narrative practice.
Many of the 500-level papers starting this July are "block" courses, which means you study mainly online with a few days on campus throughout the semester.
Counselling Studies
Bring Counselling skills and understanding to the pastoral or guiding work you already do. Two papers start this July.
Counselling Studies
Apply NowThis subject is designed to give access to Counselling Studies within an education orientation.
Rather than a professional counselling qualification, this subject offers an introduction to practice skills within specific contexts. For example, qualified teachers who see their future in the pastoral network of a school can use these papers to develop their skills in and understanding of guidance and pastoral care.
Working With Groups
COUNS540 30 points Mainly online; one week on-campus in Hamilton
This paper explores dialogic group processes with selected kinds of groups. Students will be given the opportunity to develop group membership and leadership roles through observation, participation and evaluation during an experiential workshop format and through on-line discussion and assignments.
On-campus week:
Monday 15 – Friday 19 July 9am–5pm Hamilton campus
COUNS546 30 points Mainly online; one week on-campus in Hamilton
This paper develops the skills of facilitating conflict resolution using mediation, conferencing and other types of restorative and generative conversations in families, schools and other contexts.
On-campus week:
Monday 5 – Friday 9 August 9am–5pm Hamilton campus
This paper aims to enable students to read, interpret, evaluate and use evidence to improve their own pedagogical practice, and the practice of others.
This paper provides an opportunity to develop in-depth knowledge and critical awareness of the theoretical issues and practical implications associated with improving learning and teaching through the implementation of a broad model of educational assessment. It is appropriate for practitioners at all levels of education: early childhood to tertiary.
eLearning Policy to Practice in the New Zealand Context
DLRNG525 | 30 points | Online
This paper initially takes a global perspective reviewing and critiquing arguments for education's role in building electronically-networked knowledge societies. It then examines how this is reflected in contemporary New Zealand/Aotearoa digital technologies in education/eLearning strategies and policies, drawing implications from this for institution-level planning and practice. This paper is targeted at teachers and educators wishing to consolidate their knowledge of digital technology/eLearning strategy and policy appropriate to their education sector level, and the sort of considerations needed when planning and implementing these within their institution.
Develop your inclusive practice and understanding for a variety of professional and community contexts. One paper starts this July.
Disability and Inclusion Studies
Teaching children with special needs: This programme is available for students wishing to develop their understanding and skills in disability and inclusive practice in a variety of professional and community contexts.
Early Intervention for Children with Special Needs
DINST513 | 30 points | Hamilton
This paper is intended to enable students to understand the philosophical and developmental justification for early intervention programmes for young children with special needs and their families. The focus will be on early intervention carried out in a range of contexts. The paper content will include: concepts of disability models and design of early intervention programmes; assessment; curriculum; parent partnerships and evaluation of processes.
Human Development is concerned with developmental change over time in individuals and groups across the human life span. Two papers start this July.
Human Development
Apply NowInterested in the study of the human lifespan from conception and birth onwards?
Human Development investigates how people develop throughout their lives and how cultural and social settings help to shape what is possible
Aging and Society
HMDEV502 30 points Hamilton
This paper examines how ageing is constituted in both social and political discourses, and how the resulting messages influence the everyday experiences of older people.
Educational and Life Transitions: Changing Roles and Changing Contexts
HMDEV503 30 points Mainly online; some days on-campus in Tauranga
Life involves transitions to new roles and contexts including educational and school transitions, to adults starting work. "Successful transitions" feature in many strategic plans and government policies. This paper considers transition through a critical exploration of individual, social and contextual issues associated with educational and life transitions.
On-campus days:
Fridays and Saturdays July 26 - September 28 9am–4pm Tauranga
Programmes designed for aspiring educational leaders and those already in leadership positions in all education sectors. Two papers start this July.
Educational Leadership
Apply NowDeveloping and fostering leadership skills provides a focus for all educators.
The University of Waikato provides a well-rounded suite of papers designed aspiring educational leaders and those already in leadership positions in all education sectors
Educational Leadership: Organisational Development
EDLED502 30 points Mainly online; some on-campus days in Hamilton
Explore organisational development and collaborative change management in educational contexts. Critically examine societal and organisational factors which impact the culture, strategic development and review processes within educational establishments. Explore strategies which support individuals to appreciate the complex nature and drivers associated with change and innovation as a means to strengthen and develop approaches to successfully respond to, embrace and lead change in education.
Developing Educational Leadership: Coaching and Mentoring
EDLED503 30 points Mainly online; some on-campus days in Tauranga
This paper critically examines theories and models of continuing leadership development through mentoring and coaching. It focuses on the importance of critical reflection on practice, the change process through adult learning theory, and the leadership capacity building that is so important in educational settings. Participants will study the interpersonal skills and knowledge necessary for developing leaders and leadership. They will examine their practice in a coaching and mentoring context and articulate developing understandings.
Critical inquiry into the social, political, cultural, and economic policies, theories and practices of education in New Zealand. Two papers start this July.
Education and Society
Apply NowEducation and Society involves critical inquiry into the social, political, cultural, and economic policies, theories and practices of education in New Zealand society.
Its origins are in humanities and social sciences such as History, Philosophy, and Sociology, and it has close affinities with contemporary interdisciplinary fields exploring social policy, culture, gender, and work. Education and Society raises questions about the role of Education in addressing issues of social justice, power and inequality.
Curriculum Policy and Possibilities
EDSOC511 30 points Online
This paper provides a critical theory and practice underpinning for participants interested in curriculum policy, implementation and leadership. Participants engage with educational thought and discourses that shape curriculum policy and possibilities. Contemporary conceptions of citizenship education, and cross-curricular approaches to decision making and implementation are examined. The paper's assessment programme enables participants to research contexts of interest that relate to curriculum issues and innovations in Aotearoa New Zealand or in selected settings.
Global Citizenship and International Development Education
GLOBE507 30 points Online
This paper aims to provide a critical history of international development and education by reference to modernisation, development theory, post-developmentalism and sustainability. It will focus on recent theories of economic development within the context of globalisation that highlight the role of education such as human capital theory, and it will examine the ideology of neoliberalism in relation to education policy. It will also introduce students to the recent paradigms of the knowledge, creative and innovation economies, and examine alternative development possibilities of open education, open science and open development.
The teaching and learning of literacy, reading and writing, literature, and language and languages in the compulsory sector, and also in contexts beyond schooling. One paper starts this July.
Language and Literacy Education
Apply NowLanguage and Literacy Education encompasses the teaching and learning of literacy, reading and writing, literature, and language and languages in the compulsory sector.
It also includes contexts beyond schooling such as academic literacy and writing in tertiary contexts, and literacy for adults in the community and in workplaces.
Reading Difficulties
LLTED504 30 points Hamilton
This paper provides a critical examination of theoretical models of the reading process and the utility of associated procedures designed to evaluate, diagnose, and remediate reading problems.
Focus on curriculum development, and learning and teaching in mathematics. Two papers start this July.
Mathematics Education
Apply NowThe University of Waikato provides opportunities for educators to focus on curriculum development, and learning and teaching in mathematics.
It also includes contexts beyond schooling such as academic literacy and writing in tertiary contexts, and literacy for adults in the community and in workplaces.
Mathematics Education
MTHED501 30 points Online
This paper is designed to enable teachers to develop their mathematics teaching with learners of all ages. Teachers will be encouraged to engage critically with theory and research in mathematics education, focusing on issues such as communication, assessment, and catering for diverse learners.
MTHED503 30 points Mainly online, with 5 days on-campus in Hamilton
This paper is for mathematics educators working with learners of all ages. It focuses on international reform approaches and provides critical analysis of issues underpinning the teaching and learning of mathematics.
Focus on curriculum development, learning and teaching in science, technology and environmental education. Two papers start this July.
Science Education
The Science, Technology and Environmental Education programme is for educators interested in curriculum development, learning and teaching in science, technology and environmental education.
The Programme is part of the Technology, Environmental, Mathematics and Science (TEMS) Education Centre, which offers professional development for graduates in technology, environmental, mathematics, science and education, who are interested in pursuing postgraduate study in the TEMS group of subjects.
Innovations in Science, Technology or Environmental Education
SCTED512 | 30 points | Online
This paper aims to help teachers of science, technology or environmental education to develop their knowledge of science, technology or the environment and to consider how this knowledge might be integrated into educational activities. Students will develop an understanding of the wider issues of curriculum and assessment innovation.
